"We all knew we couldn’t do it alone"
Last summer my 17 year old son was displaying behavior that was becoming out of control to handle. He was defiant, moody and expressed rages of anger. He crossed the line when he got physical and we had to call the police. Although he settled down and begged us not to take action, I knew there was more to the root of his problems. I researched numerous programs, and focused on the wilderness programs through out the U.S. I settled on SUWS of the Carolinas, because it seemed to be the best fit for his situation.
The staff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and led me through their program, to give me the comfort level I needed. The following day after meeting with our family and my son, he was willing to attend the program at SUWS. I knew then that he too, was reaching out for help and we all knew we couldn’t do it alone. The very first day he attended he bared his soul. In the coming weeks as hard as it was not to talk with him, the correspondence through letters, and the phone conference calls with the counselor were a gift to know we were on the right track. He was focused on expressing and finding answers to many of his troubled feelings. He had some set backs, but never gave up on working through the issues. And in return, we as a family worked on those issues with him.
After graduating from the program, our son returned home. I am happy to report that he really turned the corner with a new attitude and stayed on track. We had a few challenges over the next 9 months, but with the active listening and counseling skills we learned from SUWS we were able to work through issues in a very positive way.
My son graduated from high school last weekend. He will be attending college next fall. One of my proudest moments was at the dinner party we had with 50 close friends and family, when he stood up and got everyone’s attention, so he could thank all of the people who had been so supportive of him over the last years. I don’t believe he would have had the confidence and maturity that he displayed without the help of SUWS last summer.
He is an excellent example of a young man who had a lot of pent up anger and heartache, with out tools of how to express them, until he learned them through SUWS.
I believe that program changed not only his life but our family’s as well. We are grateful to SUWS for the knowledge, time and expertise that were put forth for the individual needs of my son as well as what we experienced through other students and families during the graduation process.
I would and have recommend SUWS to other families with challenging teens. I truly believe that SUWS and other Aspen programs are an absolute need and asset to families around the country.
Sincerely,
Donna (Georgia)
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